There's a reason you haven't seen much of Pai Pai at the Museum as of late:  unfortunately, the company wasn't doing enough business in the U.S. so they ceased their short-lived shipping here.  But the good news is that a fellow collector sussed out another Mexico-based store that carries the line and will send it to the States.  After missing out on several really cool collaborations I was finally able to resume adding Pai Pai to the Museum's collection.  Without further ado, I introduce their latest release, a collaboration with Ana Leovy

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy

I had hoped to get the exclusive scoop on the collection and emailed the artist for an interview.  Much to my disappointment she did not respond.  (And you wonder why I'm continually discouraged – this is the second artist in a row to turn me down).  Nevertheless I was able to cobble together some information on Leovy's work.  For the Pai Pai collection, it appears she created four different paintings to be used on four lipstick cases.  To my knowledge they are untitled. 

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy - Nuez

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy - Beso de Angel

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy - Opalo

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy - Copal

Here are the colors in case you're not a crazy collector and actually want to use them!

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy - Nuez and Beso de Angel

Pai Pai x Ana Leovy - Copal and Opalo

Ana Leovy is a young Mexico City-based artist whose vibrant, woman-centric paintings have garnered the attention from everyone from the likes of Man Repeller to Elle Mexico.  Originally trained as a graphic designer, Leovy reignited her love of painting after earning her Master degree in illustration at a university in Barcelona.  Upon completion of her degree she moved back to Mexico to pursue painting full-time.  She states in an interview, "Although I love graphic design, being an artist gives me so much more creative freedom. People come to me now because they like my style and they trust what I will create for them, whereas from my experience working with design clients, they were a bit harder to please – and I was stressed all the time. Art doesn’t feel like a job at all, it brings me lots of joy and peace, especially when seeing the reaction of people who have bought my work, it’s the best feeling ever!"

Ana-leovy-flowers

Thematically, Leovy's work consists mostly of the female form.  Their bodies are often asymmetrical, out of proportion and show a range of colors, reflecting Leovy's commitment to depicting diversity in body shapes, sizes and skin tones.  "We all come in different shapes and colors, I think that is so interesting and awesome. We should learn to embrace our uniqueness. I like playing with distorted bodies in order to avoid falling into any specific beauty category. I think it’s important to encourage diversity; my work isn’t about creating beautiful people, but trying to send a message of self-love and empowerment. Perfection is not necessarily beautiful; to me different is more exciting.  We already have perfection in photography…I want everyone to be able to relate to my work regardless of their skin color or body shape." While this may seem disingenuous coming from someone as gorgeous as Leovy – I tend to roll my eyes at beautiful, thin women (especially models and actresses) who preach "loving your body" – I believe she is sincere.  The proof is in her work; you will not find skinny, conventionally beautiful model types in any of Leovy's paintings.  This is a refreshing change from other illustrators, especially the more fashion-based ones.  Leovy's women are modern and yes, well-dressed (the artist loves fashion, citing Mara Hoffman and Elie Saab among her favorite designers), but without the reinforcement of beauty and fashion stereotypes.  This makes her work seem much less intimidating and achieves her goal of being relatable to the average woman.

Ana Leovy

Ana Leovy

Another reason Leovy's work seems more welcoming than other depictions of women we see so frequently in beauty collabs is the overwhelming spirit of camaraderie and sisterhood.  “All my life women around me have been nothing but inspiration. I love being able to confide in them," she says.  I particularly love this scene of women having a picnic in a lush garden, clearly enjoying each other's company (along with some wine and Vogue magazines!)

Ana Leovy
 

Ana Leovy

I also enjoy the feminist bend in Leovy's work, which shows an awareness of the inequality faced by women.  She states:  “Sadly we are still a very chauvinist community where you get blamed for being out too late or the way you dress…It has never been my intention to become too political, however I think now more than ever it is important to stand up and support what you believe in. It is amazing to see so many movements all around the world demanding what should be natural; equality, love and acceptance. So after seeing all this it is impossible not to feel vulnerable, getting involved in such topics are a small way of showing support.” 

Ana Leovy

Ana Leovy

Depicting women by themselves, enjoying their time alone is another way Leovy expresses a more feminist angle.  "[Mexico] is a country where most women are raised to be married and have children, nothing else. Even though this has been a year of very feminist-oriented social media, I believe we’re still lacking the day-to-day actions that go in hand with these movements, to really practice what we preach,” she says.  Showing women without a male partner, and even happy without a male presence, emphasizes the notion of women's independence as well as a rejection of the societal expectations of marriage and procreation.  It's rare that you see women living "happily ever after" totally on their own; single women are generally still viewed as defective, or at the very least, lonely spinsters.  That's why I love seeing Leovy's paintings of women in a room by themselves, reading, watching TV in their sweats or simply having a moment with their thoughts, as these pieces fight back against the stigma single women endure.  (And even if you're partnered, it's important to have some time alone on occasion to maintain your sense of self.)

Ana Leovy

Ana Leovy

Now that we've covered the main themes in Leovy's oeuvre, I want to talk a little about her style, particularly her use of color.  The landscape and textiles of her native Mexico as well as the tropical environment of the Caribbean, where she lived for several years, shaped her preference for vibrant colors.  The unexpected combinations reflect Leovy's "no rules" approach.  "When it comes to color in my work I believe the more the merrier, it's the part of the creation process I enjoy the most, I follow no rule or guideline whatsoever and I love it…Choosing the color palette is my favorite part, I love letting myself flow and see what comes out. I think the colors I choose are sort of a personal journal of my mood swings."

Ana Leovy

While Leovy's style is uniquely her own, I can't help but notice a striking resemblance to Matisse.  Another article points out the similarity between Leovy and Matisse in terms of color, but I'd also argue that the use of a somewhat flattened perspective, background patterns, and overall composition are reminiscent of Matisse's interiors.  Some examples, alternating between the two artists and starting with Matisse:

Henri Matisse, Anemones and Woman, Harmony in Blue
 
Ana Leovy
 
Matisse, Woman in a Purple Coat, 1937
(image from henrimatisse.org)
 
Ana Leovy
 
 
Henri Matisse, La Musique, 1939
(image from henrimatisse.org)
 
Ana Leovy
 
Henri Matisse, Interior with Etruscan Vase, 1940
(image from clevelandart.org)
 
Ana Leovy
 
Even the way the vases of flowers are rendered look like Matisse, as seen in his Yellow Odalisque (1937).
 
Henri Matisse, Yellow Odalisque, 1937
(image from spectator.co.uk)
 
Ana Leovy


In terms of format, Leovy enjoys both large and small scale. “Every format has its good and bad side, big canvases might feel intimidating at first but once you get started they are so much fun, love a big white space to intervene. However, tiny pieces are the cutest and I also enjoy doing them. So I guess I love them all, I like being able to change formats and not being stuck with only one, I think I would find that boring,” she says.  For the Pai Pai collection, I thought for sure the works she created would be large, but they actually look tiny.

Ana Leovy for Pai Pai
(images from @analeovy_art)

So that brings us full circle to the Pai Pai collection.  Overall I really enjoy Leovy's work, as it's a change of pace from the fashion illustrations we've seen in various other collabs, and obviously I love the feminist vibe.  I also like how Pai Pai switches it up for each collection by choosing artists with wildly varied styles. Leovy's paintings are totally different from, say, the work of Jorge Serrano and illustrations of Pinut Brein.  Pai Pai always keeps me guessing and it's another aspect I love about the brand – they never stick to one type of artist.  I just wish I could have gotten some information about how the partnership with Pai Pai came about, what Leovy's approach to makeup is (if any – she looks rather au naturel!) and whether anything in particular inspired her paintings used for the collection. 
 
What do you think of this collection and Leovy's work?  Which image is your favorite?
 

Let me start off by saying that I am not a dog person.  It might have something to do with having a truly nice cat for 18 years (always wanted to cuddle and never hissed once!), or regularly being exposed to my aunt's slobbering, hyper, incredibly smelly canines, or the fact that I was bit by a black Labrador when I was a teenager…there's nothing like a trip to the ER for stitches and a tetanus shot after some off-leash beast sinks its teeth into your leg at the exact moment the idiot owner is saying "Don't worry, he won't bite!"  (Insert eyeroll emoji here).  Whatever it is, I've always gravitated towards felines.  Having said all that, Pai Pai's latest collection, created by Pinut Brein, proved too cute for me to pass up. 

Pinut Brein for Pai Pai

Pinut Brein for Pai Pai

I love that they all have names and in some cases have little descriptions and/or are based on real dogs.  Miau is the chihuahua, but I don't seem to have any other info on him.  The bichon frise is named Tiara, and she's adamant about making people know she's NOT a poodle.  Djoko, the Pomeranian, is actually a dog belonging to a Mexico City fashion and lifestyle blogger

Djoko
The French bulldog is a princess named Petunia.  She enjoys walks in the park, regardless of the fact that she doesn't have a boyfriend to stroll with.  😀

Petunia

Bono (a.k.a. La Corga) is the corgi. 

Bono

Rocco, the pug, is my favorite. 

Rocco(images from instagram)

Despite not liking dogs I've taken quite a shine to pugs over the past couple of years.  I think it's not only because of their adorable smooshed faces, floppy ears and little curly tails, but also because I suspect they're essentially Babos in dog form – I hear they're not very bright, but one of the sweetest and most loving breeds.  And they're lazy too, which describes most of our plushies to a T.  I don't think I've formally introduced Barney here at the blog or assigned him any Museum work, but he joined us last year.  I managed to get him to pose with the Pai Pai lipsticks, which he then tried to eat.  He definitely fits in with the rest of Museum staff, right?

Pinut Brein for Pai Pai

Now for some information on the artist.  Pinut Brein is a brand created by Mexico City based artist Maria…well, I'm not sure of her last name.*  So I'll just refer to her first name.   Inspired by the work of her architect parents, Maria always enjoyed sketching and doodling.  She kept her passion for drawing under wraps while studying audio engineering and working briefly as a sound/video editor.  But after meeting several other illustrators in her native town of Xalapa in 2012 and participating in their artist collaborative Malacara, Maria decided to strike out on her own and establish Pinut Brein in 2015.  (It's a play on "peanut brain" [cerebro de cacahuate"], a nickname teasingly bestowed upon Maria by her older sister).  I find her style utterly charming without being saccharine.  The illustrations work equally well as prints for one's living room as they would for nursery walls, i.e., not too mature for children but not too juvenile for adults.  And though they're stylistically pretty different, the ability of Pinut Brein's drawings to work on a range of items intended for different audiences is similar to that of Poni Lab

Pinut Brein

Pinut Brein

Pinut Brein

Pinut Brein

Her favorite animals are dogs and horses, and she dreams of owning a pony some day. 

Pinut Brein(images from facebook and kichink)

As for her artistic process, Maria tries to infuse each animal she creates with their own personality and assign human characteristics, such as a cat leading a punk band or a bear who's also a sailor.  At least, that's what I gathered from this quote:  "Desde hace mucho me ha gustado dibujar y crear personajes, la temática principal es el reflejo de distintas personalidades humanas en animales; por ejemplo, un gato y su banda de punk, o un oso marinero." Some are her own unique creation, while some are based on people she knows, hence the dogs of the Pai Pai collection having names or borrowed from real people.  I absolutely love this concept, as our plushies, though generally lazy and not very smart, each have their own distinct personalities.  The idea of giving animals individual character traits demonstrates the artist's genuine fondness for animals; you can tell there's a real love for creatures great and small, they're not just cute motifs to her.  I also admire the fact that Maria sketches with an actual pencil and paper first, then transfers the concept to a digital format and adds color and other finishing touches that way.  Don't get me wrong, digital illustration requires just as much skill, but I'm old-school and will always appreciate paper more than screens.  😉

Here's one of her illustrations for Nylon Español.  I love the name of this cat-unicorn in Spanish: un "gaticornio".  So precious!!

Pinut Brein
(image from nylon.com)

In addition to the Pai Pai lipstick cases, the recent earthquake in Mexico spurred Pinut Brein to create illustrations of some of the rescue dogs who saved dozens of people trapped in the rubble:  Frida, Eco, Akasha and Titan

Pinut Brein - rescue dogs

Pinut Brein - rescue dogs

Pinut Brein - rescue dogs

Pinut Brein - rescue dogs

Pai Pai chose Frida and Eco to appear on some cosmetic bags, with all of the bags' sale proceeds being donated to earthquake relief. 

Pinut Brein for Pai Pai - rescue dogs cosmetic bags

Unfortunately with all the holiday releases I haven't gotten around to order these and it looks like Frida is sold out, but perhaps I will treat myself to Eco.  :)  And I can always buy this wonderful kit with stickers of all four doggies, since the proceeds from this also go to earthquake recovery efforts.

Pinut Brein - rescue dog stickers

So, despite my general preference for cats, this latest collection was definitely irresistible.  Pinut Brein must be very talented to make a non-dog person like me become smitten with these canines.  Which perrito was your favorite?

 

*The site I linked to lists "Maria del Mar Flores Ibarra"…but it seems kind of long to me, so I don't know whether it's just Del Mar or the whole thing. 

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So I have some big news!  No, the Museum does not have a physical space, but this is almost as good.  You might remember I've had a long-time love affair with Mexican brand Pai Pai, but was dismayed at the inability to obtain their lipsticks in the U.S. Well, the makeup gods smiled upon me, for Pai Pai has revamped their website and international shipping is now only 20 Mexican pesos (roughly $1.12 U.S. dollars).  It was a veritable Christmas in July miracle!  Naturally I bought plenty of goodies. Welcome to the Makeup Museum's collection, Pai Pai!

I thought I'd start with the most recent collab and work my way back.  For those of you not familiar with Pai Pai, the company has the genius idea to work with a different Mexican artist each season to create limited edition lipstick packaging that celebrates the country's heritage.  The newest partnership is with 24 year-old, Mexico City-based Jorge Serrano.  I couldn't find anything about what inspired the prints for his collection, as the Pai Pai blog seems to have disappeared in the website redesign, and the cached version only provided a general description of his style.  I've been following him on Instagram (he has such a great feed – lots of color and uplifting quotes rendered in his beautiful calligraphy) and was thinking about requesting an interview, but I'm not 100% sure he's fluent in English and my Spanish is so atrocious at this point I couldn't ask him anything.  So while I don't have any real information, I must say that I am positively in love with the vibrant, tropical lusciousness of this collection. As I lamented in the notes for the summer 2017 exhibition, I was so sad not to be able to buy Serrano's designs since they would have been perfect for the fruity theme, but I'm glad they're in my hot little hands now.  That's all that matters.  🙂

Jorge Serrano for Pai Pai

Jorge Serrano for Pai Pai

I love all the designs but these 2 are my favorites – pineapples galore and that bird is just too cute.

Jorge Serrano for Pai Pai

Serrano has dabbled in these motifs before.  Some examples from 2015 and 2014:

Jorge Serrano - Alas Olas

Bird illustration by Jorge Serrano

Pineapple print by Jorge Serrano

Pineapple print by Jorge Serrano

Thematically speaking, his work reminds me a little bit of I Scream Colour's – pop culture icons and mermaids abound.

Lady Gaga illustration by Jorge Serrano

These two were for Nylon Espanol.

Jorge Serrano for Nylon - Britney

Jorge Serrano for Nylon(images from @soyserrano)

Overall, Serrano is yet another artist whose work I have recently fallen in love with.  🙂

Next up, released a little further back in the spring was a collection by Poni Lab, a design company run by sisters Minerva and Denisse Mendoza.  These illustrations are also a ton of fun!  I love pineapple anything, as you know, but I think my favorite was the reverse mermaid…who's wearing lipstick.  Not only is it adorable, it was also inspired by Rene Magritte's 1934 work The Collective Invention (and/or possibly this one.) So bonus points for a really cool art history reference!

Poni Lab for Pai Pai

Poni Lab for Pai Pai

I had no idea these were Dr. Who/Back to the Future motifs until I actually had them in my hands.  Looking online I just thought they were cute little prints, but then when I took a closer look I realized they were very specific references (which I've linked for those of you not familiar).  As I did with one of Paul & Joe's recent lipstick cases, I thought I'd show the details because they are simply too clever not to.  Let's see, we have a Weeping Angel (these are one of the creepier monsters from Dr. Who), Nikes on a hoverboard and puffy red vest worn by Marty McFly, complete with Doc's "Great Scott!" exclamation (Back to the Future), and then the Tardis and a Dalek from Dr. Who.  The car with "where we're going we don't need roads", which you can see in the pictures above, is from Back to the Future.

Pai Pai x Poni Lab

Alas, the other ones in this collection had already sold out, but they were overwhelmingly cute as well.  A literal sweet tooth, some Warhol-esque bananas, a print full of friendly dinosaurs, rainbows and cookies all transported me to my happy place. I mean, you can't be sad when looking at these, right?

Pai Pai x Poni Lab
 

As with Serrano I couldn't find a ton of information on what inspired Poni Lab and wasn't sure about their English fluency, but looking at their Instagram feed, it seems most of the the Pai Pai collection consisted of previously created patterns – it looks like only one was made specifically for Pai Pai, and that was also based on a previous design.

Poni Lab pouches

Poni Lab pineapple phone cases

Poni Lab dinosaur pouch

Poni Lab fish couple print

Nevertheless, I'm smitten with their style.  It's very nostalgic and playful, with lots of cartoony animals and cheerful anthropomorphic beings, and filled with some of my favorite motifs (pineapples and sweets).  And tons of unicorns, but also a few mermaids here and there. 😉

Poni Lab narwhal unicorn print

Poni Lab ice cream pouch

Poni Lab cherries print

Poni Lab it's pine-o-clock

Poni Lab unicorn plushes

Poni Lab pixelated unicorn pouch

Poni Lab mer-shiba pillow

I don't want kids but if I did, I'd buy this mer-kitty (or as Poni Lab calls them, "purr-maids"!) stuff in a heartbeat.

Poni Lab purrmaids

Poni Lab purrmaids t-shirt(images from @ponilab)

Finally, we have Talia Cu's amazing Frida Kahlo-inspired collection.  I've already discussed it so I won't re-hash it, but I must mention that these were actually sent to me for free by Pai Pai!  Talia spotted my blog post and contacted me on Instagram, saying she felt bad that I couldn't get my hands on them.  So she reached out to one of Pai Pai's founders on my behalf and told them all about the Museum, and they ended up sending these to me completely free.  It's the first time in 9 years of blogging that I've ever gotten anything for free from a makeup company!!  So a huge thanks to Talia and Pai Pai for their kindness and generosity.

Talia Cu for Pai Pai

I'm thrilled I was able to get all of these for the Museum, as they're all quite worthy additions.  I can't wait to see what the next collection is, as it's being teased on Instagram and the suspense is killing me…I think I might spy a pug design?!

What do you think?  Any favorites?

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Happy Cinco de Mayo!  In honor of this festive day I thought I'd do a quick follow-up to Republic Nail's Frida Kahlo-themed polishes.  Turns out, another beauty brand beat them to the punch in early 2016 with a line of lipsticks featuring packaging inspired by the artist.  You might remember how enamored I was of Mexican company Pai Pai back in 2015, when I was positively drooling over their concept of collaborating with a different Mexican artist each season to create limited edition packaging.  Anyway, I spotted their summer 2017 collection on Instagram and was once again smitten, so I decided to catch up and see what else they had been up to since I posted about them.  That's when I found these lipsticks.

Paipai - Talia Cu

The fashion illustrator/journalist behind these, Talia Cu (Castellanos)1 had a less literal interpretation of Kahlo's work than Republic Nail.  Cu was interested in expressing the essence of Kahlo herself rather than reproducing her work, wanting to explore Kahlo's personality and fashion sense more than her art.  To accomplish this, Cu looked to both Kahlo's general surroundings and the pictures of her personal belongings photographed by Ishiuchi Miyako.  As I noted in the Republic Nail post, Kahlo's clothing, accessories and other items weren't discovered in her home until 50 years after her death.  In 2011 Miyako embarked on a breathtaking series that captured Kahlo's spirit through her personal effects (over 300 were photographed!).  It was these photos, along with other meaningful items from Kahlo's day-to-day life, that Cu used as a jumping off point for her designs.  I tried translating Cu's explanation as best I could (my Spanish is incredibly rusty) from this Vogue Mexico article.2  "I wanted to give a unique perspective and not necessarily focus on her art.  Mainly, I took inspiration from the photographs Ishiuchi Miyako took of Frida Kahlo's things, and I also wanted to revisit certain iconic motifs in her art (watermelon, monkeys, the phrase 'viva la vida') to create this small universe that built her personality."  If any illustrator is suited to take on this task, it's Cu – one look at her Instagram, which is chock full of vibrant street fashion sketches and animations, told me she could breathe new life into Kahlo's style as expressed through various items.

Paipai - Talia Cu
(images from paipai.mx)

Ishiuchi Miyako, "Frida by Ishiuchi #2" and "#11"

Ishiuchi Miyako, "Frida by Ishiuchi #50"
(images from michaelhoppengallery.com and itsnicethat.com)

Cu imagined what Kahlo would look like wearing those cat-eye sunglasses, borrowing (I suspect, given the shape of the flowers atop her head) a portrait by Nickolas Muray.  The green and white polka dot print on the lipstick may also have been a nod to the green floral background from one of Kahlo's most famous photos.

Paipai - Talia Cu

Frida Kahlo
(image from nickolasmuray.com)

As noted previously, Kahlo kept several monkeys, along with a host of other animals, as surrogate children. (One thing I didn't know before was that monkeys were also a symbol of lust in traditional Mexican folklore.)  Cu created a charming monkey print to represent Kahlo's attachment to these animals.

Paipai - Talia Cu

Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Monkeys, 1943(image from fridakahlo.org)

Frida Kahlo, 1943(image from nydailynews.com)

I thought a cactus print was kind of strange since I don't remember these plants appearing in any Kahlo paintings, until I did a little more digging – I spotted many cacti in the garden as well as a cactus wall surrounding Kahlo's beloved home, La Casa Azul (it's now a museum and I want to go!), so I'm assuming that's where it came from.

Paipai - Talia Cu

Frida Kahlo - Casa Azul(image from latinflyer.com)

Watermelons were a popular motif in Kahlo's still-life paintings.  Once again Cu gives them a fun, playful twist – they seem much less heavy than the fruits that appear in Kahlo's work.   Knowing that Kahlo added the inscription on Viva La Vida, Sandias just a few days before her death, for example, is rather bleak.  Cu's color choice of bright blue and peach, as well as the exuberant, lightweight lines of the fruit, transforms the phrase into an upbeat slogan of sorts.  (Oddly enough, you can actually buy a ceramic watermelon with the inscription from La Casa Azul's gift shop.)

Paipai - Talia Cu

Frida Kahlo, Viva La Vida, 1954

Frida Kahlo, Still Life with Watermelons, 1953

Frida Kahlo, The Bride Frightened at Seeing Life Opened, 1943

Frida Kahlo, Coconuts, 1951(images from fridakahlo.org)

By the way, if you're wondering why I'm using stock photos of the lipsticks instead of my own, there's a simple reason:  Pai Pai's shipping cost was completely prohibitive.  I was finally ready to pull the trigger on some items from this collection as well as the summer 2017 collection, but when I saw the shipping cost my heart dropped.  I thought the prices were mistakenly listed in Mexican pesos, but no, they were clearly U.S. dollars.  I was going to do a screenshot of the cost, but in prepping the photos for this post it seems PaiPai's check out isn't working (I keep getting an "internal server error" message) so I can't show you.  I do remember the cost though: I had 3 lipsticks in my cart for $66 and shipping was $184.  I have no idea why shipping to the U.S. from Mexico is so steep.  I order from sellers all over the world and have never seen anything like this!  But I simply can't justify more than double the price of the lipsticks themselves.  It's not the total amount that's an issue – I've spent $200-$300 in one go before – but it's a waste to pay that much for shipping alone.  It's very sad for me and a little for the company, as they could have gained quite a loyal customer.  If shipping wasn't ridiculous I'd probably snatch up every collection in full.  As a last-ditch effort, I repeatedly called the one salon in the U.S. that carries Pai Pai and never had anyone pick up, and also DM'ed them on Instagram with no reply.  Hmmph.  Unless Pai Pai comes to their senses and reduces their shipping to a reasonably affordable price, or starts carrying the line in more locations within the U.S., I'm afraid I won't be acquiring any for the Museum.  🙁

I don't want to leave on a negative note, as it's both Friday and Cinco de Mayo, so I will say that I think Cu's interpretation of Kahlo is both more inspired and uplifting than Republic Nails.  The illustrations are lighter and speak to the less tortured side of the artist – the objects chosen by Cu were ones that I imagine brought Kahlo happiness, fleeting though it was.  The idea of telling her story through her personal items and other things that had meaning for her, especially when combined with the emphasis on her fashion sense, is a unique way to represent Kahlo.  By consciously choosing not to focus solely on Kahlo's art, Cu gives us a fuller impression of her personality with these illustrations.

What do you think?  And are you doing anything for Cinco de Mayo?

 

1Normally with these sorts of collabs I'd show more of the artist's work but I think these lipsticks really encapsulate Cu's style…plus I had no idea how to work it in with all of the Kahlo stuff!

2The full quote is as follows: “Por mi antecedente en el campo de la moda, me interesé en Frida Kahlo no solo por su trabajo como artista, sino por la personalidad que lograba capturar en su vestuario, y su estilo icónico…Quería darle una perspectiva distinta y no necesariamente enfocarme en su arte. Principalmente, tomé inspiración de las fotografías que Ishiuchi Miyako tomó de los objetos de Frida Kahlo, y a la par retomé también ciertas figuras icónicas en su obra (la sandía, los monos, la frase "viva la vida") todo para crear este pequeño universo que la construye como personaje. Los colores por supuesto, tenían que representar esa alegría en su vestuario.”

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A few months ago The Dieline posted about this relatively new makeup brand that happens to have some of the most spectacular packaging I've seen in a while.  Pai Pai is a Mexican brand that features the work of different artists on their packaging each season.  It's a similar concept to Laqa & Co. as well as the long-gone Stephane Marais line, so perhaps it's not completely groundbreaking, but I love brands that don't have regular packaging and hire artists to create different designs for each product. (If I had my own makeup line, I'd totally steal the concept of having a new artist each season!)  Plus, Pai Pai exclusively highlights Mexican artists so as to celebrate the country's cultural heritage.  The company's name comes from an an endangered indigenous community in Baja California in the western part of Mexico.  Sadly, it is estimated that less than 100 people still speak the Paipai language.  I'm not sure whether any of Pai Pai's proceeds go to conservation efforts but it would be awesome if they did.

Anyway, let's get to the packaging, which I'll be looking in reverse chronological order.  The most recent featured artist is Guillermo Huerta, an up-and-coming illustrator who collaborates on many different design and fashion projects in Mexico.  Titled "Sueño Cósmico" ("Cosmic Dream"), the collection is about Huerta's "obsession with color" and a modern re-imagining of Mexico.  My Spanish is rusty, but I think I was able to roughly piece together his take on the collection:  "I have always thought more is more.  For me, Mexico has always been a starting point…I love to revisit the fantasy and magic that we have and give it a contemporary twist." 

Here are the cases. 

Guillermo Huerta for Pai Pai

And here they are with the caps off – the colors are certainly exuberant and appropriate for the spring and summer months.

Guillermo Huerta for Pai Pai

Guillermo Huerta for Pai Pai
(images from paipai.mx)

The slightly more delicate, less edgy work of Georgina Chávez was selected for the fall/winter 2014 collection.  Titled "Seres" (Beings) the collection was inspired by wild animals/plants and their habitats.

Georgina Chavez for Pai Pai

Georgina Chavez for Pai Pai

Georgina Chavez for Pai Pai
(images from paipai.mx)

Prior to Chávez's collection, PaiPai used the work of Oscar Torres for the spring/summer 2014 collection.  Torres created brightly colored, intricately patterned works depicting his chosen theme, "Virgen Santa" ("Holy Virgin") which pays homage to the beauty of Mexico's women and also gives a modern twist to traditional representations of the Virgin of Guadalupe.  I love that each one is shown wearing a vibrant lipstick.  Oddly enough, the lipsticks are named after flowers, but Torres named each woman so I don't know why they couldn't use his original names.  From left to right is Guadalupe, Ofelia and Francisca. 

Oscar Torres for Pai Pai

The one on the left below is Aurora.

Oscar Torres for Pai Pai
(images from winterland.mx)

Pai Pai's inaugural collection debuted in the fall of 2013 and featured 9 lipsticks by Alejandro López, an artist whose folkloric work is inspired by the "streets of Mexico, its people, costumes, traditions, fantasies and the way in which they see the most painful situations with humor".  It's hard to tell whether these were made especially for Pai Pai or whether they were existing works, but you can see them all here.

Alexandro Lopez for Paipai

Alexandro Lopez for Pai Pai

Alexandro Lopez for Pai Pai
(images from liliacortes.com)

All in all, I'm really impressed with Pai Pai's concept of having a makeup line produced in Mexico with packaging that regularly honors the country through the work of different artists, and is even named after an indigenous Mexican community.  You can tell a lot of thought went into the brand's development and I know someone there is very carefully selecting the artists (my dream job!) and choosing lipstick shades that are appropriate not only for the season but that also represent that particular artist's aesthetic.  See, for example, the vivid, pigmented shades of Torres's collection that go perfectly with his vibrant portraits, vs. the subtle beiges, plums and pinks of Lopez's collection, which are better-suited to his slightly more understated palette.

What do you think?  Which collection is your favorite?  Pai Pai ships to the U.S. so I see a few of these in my future…I just wish I could have gotten my hands on their older collections!